A/N:Just a small fiction on the beginnings of Jenny and Jethro. Mainly Jenny and her schooldays. Towards the end I'll introduce Gibbs. Pretend that NCIS didn't happen. (Hard I know).

Miny warning: There is a loose description of a car accident, I don't want to shock/upset anyone, so the warning is there.

NCIS, Jenny, Jethro and Col. Shepard are not mine (if they were, Jenny would still be alive, Tiva would exist and Vance would not!). I have £1.40 in my purse, ergo, not worth suing!


Kids are pulling a girl towards a bathroom, her hair, her clothes, bag; whatever comes to hand. Next, her books and freshly printed essay are in the grimy toilet bowl. Her cell shortly follows. She anticipates her head being next, but before this prophecy comes true the bell rings. Everyone dashes out, leaving her with an illegible essay, dead cell and tears streaming down her face.

The girl in the dream started and opened her eyes, an icy dew speckling her forehead. The tinny voice of the announcement for the train woke her from this recurrent nightmare.
Ever since her father told her she was going to an American boarding school, she had this replaying her head, on a loop, every time she closed her eyes. She was no stranger to nightmares. True, this was a silly irrational fear, but a nightmare nonetheless. As a child she had had the usual monster-in-the-closet sort of nightmares, but after a certain day in her life, a terrifying recollection of that day would haunt her. Four years ago, her mother, a kind-hearted soul, Jenny's best friend was killed in a particularly nasty RTC. She couldn't imagine the details. She didn't have to. She knew them.
She was sat in the back of the car, next to her five-year-old brother Eric, who in turn was sat behind their mother. Another car had ploughed into the driver's side of her mother's Yaris, killing Eric outright and her mother died a few hours later on the operating table of the Royal London Hospital. The other driver was arrested. He stank of booze and had cuts and bruises to his head. Jenny herself had narrowly escaped death. She had suffered a broken pelvis and fractured ribs, along with cuts and bruises all over her body. The doctors told her father it was a miracle it had not been more.
Her father was in the United States Navy. Highly ranking too. Jasper Shepard loved his wife, but due to career commitments and promotions, they had to live apart. Evelyn was a headmistress of a grammar school on the outskirts of London. She loved her job and realised she couldn't leave, but at the same time could not expect the love of her life to leave the Navy and the rest of his life behind. Nor did she want him to; she knew that he loved his job. They had decided that the children would live in England with Evelyn, but in the summer, Easter and Christmas vacations, along with Thanksgiving, they lived with their father in a beautiful townhouse in Georgetown.
After the accident, Jasper was torn. He didn't know what to do. Should he let Jenny finish Junior School and then move her to the States or move her now half-way through? Following agonising talks with Evelyn's family and the school, it was decided that Jenny would finish Junior School whilst living with her grandparents, and move to the United States to start High School when she turned eleven.
The Amtrak pulled to a stop in the Foggy Bottom-GWU station. There was no train stop in Georgetown, so this was the next best thing. That was the only thing Jenny hated about Georgetown. It was rather irritating; first taking the Green line train from the airport to L'Enfant Plaza, then hopping onto the Orange Line to Foggy Bottom, but she got used to it. She grabbed her rucksack and suitcases and dragged them onto the platform. She turned around slowly scanning crowds for a familiar face.
She found him almost at once. He was stood there smiling, arms held open wide. "My darling Jenny!" Jenny ran towards him smiling "Daddy!" He embraced her in his strong arms, wishing he could never let go. "I'm home."
At this, the Navy Captain's eyes grew teary and he began to spin Jenny round, whilst she was still hugging his middle. Her beautiful, long red hair fanned out like sunlight falling on a stream in the early morning and her eyes shone like emeralds in the Indian sun, as she giggled away at this; a favourite childhood game. He eventually slowed down, and wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulder as they were heading to the car that would take them home.
"Grammy sends her love and Grandad said to tell you "אני מצפה לראות את הקיץ הבא שלה!" (see you next summer)." Jasper smiled at this, "Next time you talk to Sabba, tell him I said 'Shalom'."

Artistic license - Jenny's maternal grandfather is Jewish. :D Oh and if anyone can anglicise the hebrew phrase at the bottom of the chapter, I'll give you a cookie and a dedication in the next chapter. Its supposed to say 'See you next Summer'... Jess x